Rob Steinhttp://publicradioeast.org
enCritics Lash Out At Chinese Scientists Who Edited DNA In Human Embryoshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/critics-lash-out-chinese-scientists-who-edited-dna-human-embryos
For the first time, scientists have edited DNA in human embryos, a highly controversial step long considered off-limits.<p>Junjiu Huang and his colleagues at the <a href="http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina/universitydetailen.aspx?collegeId=70">Sun Yat-sen University</a> in Guangzhou, China, performed a series of experiments involving 86 human embryos to see if they could make changes in a gene known as HBB, which causes the sometimes fatal blood disorder <a href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/beta-thalassemia">beta-thalassemia.</a><p>The <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13Thu, 23 Apr 2015 09:13:56 +0000Rob Stein67419 at http://publicradioeast.orgWhy Do Mosquitoes Like To Bite You Best? It's In Your Geneshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/why-do-mosquitoes-bite-you-best-its-your-genes
A study that asked a few dozen pairs of twins to brave a swarm of hungry mosquitoes has revealed another clue to the cluster of reasons the insects are more attracted to some people than others: Genes matter.<p>"Twins that were identical were very similar in their level of attractiveness to mosquitoes, and twins that were [not identical] were very different in their level of attractiveness," says <a href="http://arctec.lshtm.ac.uk/about/team/james-logan">James Logan</a>, a medical entomologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who led the <a href="http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/jWed, 22 Apr 2015 20:08:00 +0000Rob Stein67389 at http://publicradioeast.orgWhy Do Mosquitoes Like To Bite You Best? It's In Your GenesScreening Tests For Breast Cancer Genes Just Got Cheaperhttp://publicradioeast.org/post/screening-tests-breast-cancer-genes-just-got-cheaper
A new California company announced Monday it is offering a much cheaper and easier way for women to get tested for genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast and ovarian cancer.<p><a href="https://getcolor.com/#/">Color Genomics</a> of Burlingame, Calif., has begun selling a $249 test that it says can accurately analyze a saliva sample for mutations in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, as well as check for 17 other genetic variants that have been associated with a somewhat increased risk for cancer of the breast or ovaries.<p>"Color's goal is to democratize access to genetic Tue, 21 Apr 2015 19:54:00 +0000Rob Stein67296 at http://publicradioeast.orgScreening Tests For Breast Cancer Genes Just Got CheaperFDA Ponders Putting Homeopathy To A Tougher Testhttp://publicradioeast.org/post/fda-ponders-whether-homeopathy-medicine
It's another busy morning at Dr. Anthony Aurigemma's homeopathy practice in Bethesda, Md.<p>Wendy Resnick, 58, is here because she's suffering from a nasty bout of laryngitis. "I don't feel great," she says. "I don't feel myself."<p>Resnick, who lives in Millersville, Md., has been seeing <a href="http://www.anthonyaurigemma-md.com/">Aurigemma</a> for years for a variety of health problems, including ankle and knee injuries and back problems. "I don't know what I would do without him," she says.Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:46:00 +0000Rob Stein67168 at http://publicradioeast.orgFDA Ponders Putting Homeopathy To A Tougher TestUse Of E-Cigarettes Triples Among U.S. Teenshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/use-e-cigarettes-triples-among-us-teens
A national survey confirms earlier indications that e-cigarettes are now more popular among teenage students than traditional cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, federal health officials reported Thursday.<p>The findings prompted strong warnings from <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/director.htm">Dr.Thu, 16 Apr 2015 22:24:00 +0000Rob Stein66966 at http://publicradioeast.orgUse Of E-Cigarettes Triples Among U.S. TeensWhy Knuckles Crackhttp://publicradioeast.org/post/why-knuckles-crack
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHEcQluSzmM</p>Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:25:00 +0000Rob Stein66885 at http://publicradioeast.orgWhy Knuckles CrackWill A Transplanted Hand Feel Like His Own? Surgery Raises Questionshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/will-transplanted-hand-feel-his-own-surgery-raises-questions
When Kevin Lopez opens the door to his Greenbelt, Md., apartment to greet a visitor he's never before met, he initially conceals his right hand.<p>"I'm self-conscious, definitely, about my right hand," he says. But eventually Lopez relaxes.<p>"I was born like this," he says. "As you can see, I don't have any fingers." It bothers the 20-year-old enough that he has volunteered to do something drastic: to have his right hand removed and replaced with another person's hand via surgery.<p>"It's something I always wanted to do," Lopez says.Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:01:00 +0000Rob Stein66172 at http://publicradioeast.orgWill A Transplanted Hand Feel Like His Own? Surgery Raises QuestionsArizona Requires Doctors To Say Abortion Pill Is Reversiblehttp://publicradioeast.org/post/arizona-requires-doctors-say-abortion-pill-reversible
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Arizona+Requires+Doctors+To+Say+Abortion+Pill+Is+Reversible&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyNDY5ODMwMDEyMjg3NjMzMTE1ZjE2MA001)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>Arizona will now require doctors to tell women who use the so-called abortion pill that the procedure can be reversed. We asked NPR health correspondent Rob Stein whether that's true.Wed, 01 Apr 2015 20:39:00 +0000Rob Stein65813 at http://publicradioeast.orgTobacco Firm Seeks Softer Warning For Cigarette Alternativehttp://publicradioeast.org/post/tobacco-firm-asks-fda-lift-warning-label-product
The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to allow a tobacco company to do something it's never done before — claim that one of its products is less risky than cigarettes.<p>The company, <a href="https://www.swedishmatch.com/">Swedish Match</a> of Stockholm, has applied to the FDA to designate its <a href="http://www.swedishmatch.com/en/Media/Articles/FDA-Seeks-Comments-on-the-Swedish-Match-MRTP-application/">General brand of snus</a> (rhymes with "loose") as safer than other versions of tobacco.<p>Snus are tiny cloth packages that look a little like tea bags.Wed, 01 Apr 2015 07:53:00 +0000Rob Stein65744 at http://publicradioeast.orgTobacco Firm Seeks Softer Warning For Cigarette AlternativeScientists Urge Temporary Moratorium On Human Genome Editshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/scientists-urge-temporary-moratorium-human-genome-edits
A new technology called <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.2842.epdf?referrer_access_token=i6tER0wpb2_6Tbre5Or6ytRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OJcIZ7__2Sn3VS7nwM9l1l-DbAPx6z3drCRNbbL8obd-oC4xXF0MGEcDrih_--eBHOjpOj9bDAOHiYhBOqH6V1I5ht37p6zhNfFdOtpFLjaspoTz7FDGHjLhbijN3Wq4njNUG5D7lfFnnXym_6n4Zbl60m31BBS_8QEP3_O-93h2mvWo6AJP2BbsE9Mwu7wNE%3D&tracking_referrer=www.npr.org" target="_blank">CRISPR</a> could allow scientists to alter the human genetic code for generations. That's causing some leading biologists and bioethicists to sound an alarm.Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:12:00 +0000Rob Stein64957 at http://publicradioeast.orgScientists Urge Temporary Moratorium On Human Genome EditsBreast-Feeding Boosts Chances Of Success, Study In Brazil Findshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/breast-feeding-boosts-chances-success-study-brazil-finds
Babies who are breast-fed may be more likely to be successful in life, a provocative study published Tuesday suggests.<p>The study followed more than 3,000 babies into adulthood in Brazil.Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:36:00 +0000Rob Stein64703 at http://publicradioeast.orgBreast-Feeding Boosts Chances Of Success, Study In Brazil FindsFertility Clinic Courts Controversy With Treatment That Recharges Eggshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/toronto-infertility-clinic-offers-controversial-treatment
Melissa and her husband started trying to have a baby right after they got married. But nothing was happening. So they went to a fertility clinic and tried round after round of everything the doctors had to offer. Nothing worked.<p>"They basically told me, 'You know, you have no chance of getting pregnant,' " says Melissa, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy.<p>But Melissa, 30, who lives in Ontario, Canada, didn't give up. She switched clinics and kept trying.Thu, 05 Mar 2015 08:43:00 +0000Rob Stein63762 at http://publicradioeast.orgFertility Clinic Courts Controversy With Treatment That Recharges EggsFDA Mandates Tougher Warnings On Testosteronehttp://publicradioeast.org/post/fda-mandates-tougher-warnings-testosterone
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it is requiring drugmakers to warn patients that testosterone products may increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.<p>Testosterone replacements are approved to treat men with low testosterone related to medical problems, such as genetic deficiencies, chemotherapy or damaged testicles.<p>But the level of the hormone can fall as men grow older. And testosterone is increasingly being prescribed to men to stave off aging, something the agency never approved.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:03:00 +0000Rob Stein63666 at http://publicradioeast.orgFDA Mandates Tougher Warnings On TestosteroneInfections With Dangerous Gut Microbe Still On The Risehttp://publicradioeast.org/post/infections-dangerous-gut-microbe-still-rise
A potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal infection is more common than previously estimated, federal health officials reported Wednesday.<p>The infection, caused by <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html">a bacterium</a> known as <em>Clostridium difficile</em>, or <em>C-diff</em>, causes nearly 500,000 illnesses in the United States each year and kills about 29,000, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p>The <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1408913?query=TOC">estimate</a>, based on an analysis of data collecteWed, 25 Feb 2015 22:37:00 +0000Rob Stein63214 at http://publicradioeast.orgInfections With Dangerous Gut Microbe Still On The RiseFeeding Babies Foods With Peanuts Appears To Prevent Allergies http://publicradioeast.org/post/feeding-babies-foods-peanuts-appears-prevent-allergies
Babies at high risk for becoming allergic to peanuts are much less likely to develop the allergy if they are regularly fed foods containing the legumes starting in their first year of life.<p>That's according to a big new study released Monday involving hundreds of British babies.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 21:56:00 +0000Rob Stein63036 at http://publicradioeast.orgKids, Allergies And A Possible Downside To Squeaky Clean Disheshttp://publicradioeast.org/post/kids-allergies-and-possible-downside-squeaky-clean-dishes
Could using a dishwashing machine increase the chances your child will develop allergies?Mon, 23 Feb 2015 05:41:00 +0000Rob Stein62969 at http://publicradioeast.orgKids, Allergies And A Possible Downside To Squeaky Clean DishesFemale Libido Pill Fires Up Debate About Women And Sexhttp://publicradioeast.org/post/female-libido-pill-fires-debate-about-women-and-sex
For 15 years, Carla Price and her husband's sex life was great. But then things began to change.<p>"Before, I would want to have sex," says Price, who is 50 and lives in central Missouri. "But over the years my sexual desire has just dwindled to nothing."<p>Price has no idea why. She's healthy. She's not really stressed out about anything. And she's still totally crazy about her husband.<p>"It's not that our relationship got boring," Price says.Mon, 16 Feb 2015 21:09:00 +0000Rob Stein62536 at http://publicradioeast.orgFemale Libido Pill Fires Up Debate About Women And SexHarnessing The Immune System To Fight Cancerhttp://publicradioeast.org/post/harnessing-immune-system-fight-cancer
When Barbara Marder was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago, she had part of her right lung removed, went through a round of chemotherapy and tried to move on with her life.<p>"I had hoped that everything was fine — that I would not create difficulty for my children, that I would get to see my grandchildren grow up," says Marder, 73, of Arnold, Md.<p>But a routine scan a year later found bad news: The cancer was back — this time in her other lung.<p>"I was very disappointed," says Marder. She knew her prognosis was grim. "I decided at that point that ...Mon, 09 Feb 2015 08:33:00 +0000Rob Stein61929 at http://publicradioeast.orgHarnessing The Immune System To Fight CancerU.K. Lawmakers Allow Scientists To Attempt 'DNA Transplants'http://publicradioeast.org/post/uk-lawmakers-allow-scientists-attempt-dna-transplants
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=U.K.+Lawmakers+Allow+Scientists+To+Attempt+%27DNA+Transplants%27&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyOTk4OTc0MDEyNzcxNDIzMTZjM2E3Zg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>The U.K. is on its way to become the first country to allow a procedure that uses genes from three adults to create babies. Lawmakers approved regulations allowing the procedure today, but it's been the subject of intense debate.Tue, 03 Feb 2015 21:37:00 +0000Rob Stein61529 at http://publicradioeast.orgE-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of Formaldehydehttp://publicradioeast.org/post/e-cigarettes-can-churn-out-high-levels-formaldehyde
Vapor produced by electronic cigarettes can contain a surprisingly high concentration of formaldehyde — a known carcinogen — researchers reported Wednesday.<p>The findings, described in a letter <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069">published</a> in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine,</em> intensify <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/12/16/371253640/teens-now-reach-for-e-cigarettes-over-regular-ones">concern</a> about the safety of electronic cigarettes, which have become increasingly popular.<p>"I think this is just one more piece of evidence amid a number of pieces oWed, 21 Jan 2015 22:08:00 +0000Rob Stein60557 at http://publicradioeast.orgE-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of Formaldehyde